Untamable
by dislocation
Summary: "If enough people keep saying it, then it must be true." Admete is the daughter of Calypso and Davy Jones, even if it might take a while for her to believe that. But as much as she loves the sea, she's not happy to find herself tricked onto the infamous Queen Anne's Revenge on the quest to find the Fountain of Youth. (Very) Eventual Cabin Boy/OC.
1. Queen Anne's Revenge

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**Queen Anne's Revenge**

**.**

_Captain_ Jack Sparrow was in the pirate heaven.

He was dreaming about being back at the _Faithful bride_, in that dank, dirty and wonderful port by the name of Tortuga. He had a woman on each arm and rum warming his belly and all he could hear was laughter as he sat at a table with a content smile on his face, his teeth showing.

The paradise came crashing down when his hammock, swaying gently from side to side, was thrown upside down, sending Jack to the floor face-first with a startled yelp.

"Show a leg, sailor," barked whoever had shoved him before his boots stomped out of Jack's vision.

"Aye, sir," was all Jack could say out of instinct, immediately frowning when the words left his mouth. His eyebrows pulled together as he looked up in confusion, only then registering what he had said. "What?"

He was pulled from the floor and pushed into a line of pirates with his head still spinning from the abrupt awakening and he numbly walked along, scratching his beard.

What a day he had. In _London_, none the less! Meeting a king or some other, finding out that Barbossa lost the _Pearl_ – he will riddle him with bullets the next time they cross paths – and now it appeared that Angelica, the sweet, beautiful, _traitorous _Angelica was impersonating him. For what reason?

Oh, yes… The fountain. Ever since the rumours of its discovery by Ponce de Leon reached ears, it had been an ambition of every pirate who heard and believed in the legend, and Jack was one of them. He spent countless days and nights on his little boat, studying the navigational charts. The image of the tug of war between a skeleton and an angel above the chalice was seared into his mind.

Jack Sparrow will not let it have said that there's a point on the map he never found. He shall reach the Fountain of Youth and taste those waters, just as he said to Gibbs. He certainly did _not_ give up.

But first, he had to figure out where he was.

The last thing he remembered was escaping the tavern with the redcoats at their heels. He had asked Angelica what was needed for the Ritual when he felt a dart pierce his neck. He had pulled it out and stared at it before his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

And now he was on a ship he had never set a foot on with faces he didn't recognise. And he – _he, _Captain Jack Sparrow – had been sleeping on a hammock below deck like some regular member of the crew.

All in all, he was utterly confused.

But one thing for sure, this was the last time he had spent his time and efforts to save Joshamee Gibbs from an appointment to the gallows.

"There's been a horrible mistake," he reasoned with the crew member behind him in the line.

"Keep moving," was the short, hushed reply he received.

"I'm not supposed to be here!"

"Many a man's woken up at sea, no idea what, when, wherefore or why. No memory of the night afore, whence he signed up and drank away all his bonus money," the same man said with a small laugh.

Jack stopped walking and turned around as the rest of the crew slowly began to start waking up around them. "No, no, no. You don't understand, mate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. The original. The only."

"Scrum, and the pleasure's all mine," the man said, turning him around and pushing him forward. "Now keep moving."

They were given mops and buckets and ordered to clean the below deck. Jack worked silently, mulling over all the possibilities of where he could be. Now that he had a better look of the man whom he had spoken to, he realised that he was the same man who had mistook him for an imposter back at the _Captain's Daughter_.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hammering and Jack glanced at the source of the noise, blinking when he saw a pair of pirates working on a glass coffin. He turned to Scrum and called his name. When the man looked up, Jack inclined his head for him to come closer. Scrum did, discreetly mopping towards him.

"Why is there a glass coffin?" Jack asked when he was close enough, his lip curled back, both disturbed and confused at why anyone would need such a thing.

Scrum gave him a funny look. "Do I look like the man in charge?"

Jack had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He already knew _that. _"Where am I?"

Scrum slowed his mopping and checking that nobody was listening in puffed out his chest. "'Scuse me, Captain Sparrow, sir. I be right honoured to welcome you aboard our world-renowned vessel of infamy, _Queen Anne's Revenge._"

Jack froze, straightening up as a sense of dread ran throughout him, chilling him to the bone. "Blackbeard."

.

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><p>.<p>

_Queen Anne's Revenge _was a terrifying and beautiful, fully rigged Battleship. Formerly known as _La Concorde_, before it came under Blackbeard's command, it was now awash with faded crimson and gold, the skeletons of Blackbeard's victims decorating the bow, the stern castle and the outer walls of the Captain's cabin. The sight of the ship froze the veins of anyone who looked upon the flag moving with the wind, a large flaming skull revealing its current captain's obsession for the forbidden dark magic. _Revenge_ was both magnificent and monstrous, a creature that would come alive when its captain wielded the Sword of Triton. A frightening beast that stalked the seas, a demon.

Jack had little time to confirm whether any of the rumoured tales were true. The moment the crew finished cleaning below deck they were ushered above and given the task of scrubbing the floor. But he didn't miss the red sails or the skeletons, even as he was on all fours, his fingers red and hurting from the work. A large, dark pirate named Gunner paced near the working pirates, occasionally whipping those who didn't work up to his standards.

Jack watched him through this eyelashes as Gunner inspected them all with a cold stare, a whip in his hand and ready to be used again and again. "He's a curious one," he commented.

"He's been zombified."

Jack turned to Scrum at his strange statement. "Eh?"

"Zombified," Scrum repeated. "Blackbeard's doing. All the officers are the same. Makes 'em more compliant."

Gunner growled and whipped another man who yelled out in pain, causing the entire group to jump. Jack frowned, "And perpetually ill-tempered." At his words Gunner's head snapped towards him, his pale eyes wide, and Jack looked down before he could reprimand him too.

"Come on. Scrub," Scrum said lightly, speeding up his pace.

"Yeah..."

Jack let out a sigh of relief when their task changed from scrubbing the deck to working on securing the rigging, glad to finally stretch his legs. "Pull," chanted the crew in unison, to help keep their movements synchronised. A young boy in a dark yellow coat struggled for a short moment against the pull of the rope in his hands.

Jack allowed himself to scan the ship as he himself pulled a rope, Scrum and the pirate by the name of Salaman at his side. "Five days underway, at least."

"Aye. You can tell that by the smell of the sea?" Scrum inquired.

"Smell of the crew." Jack tied off the rope and looked up, his eyes narrowing when he spotted a man tied to the mast. "Oi. What did that poor sod do? And how can I make sure to not?"

Scrum looked up, still holding onto his own rope tightly with one hand the other on his hip. "Him? Churchly fellow. Always going on about the Lord Almighty."

"Bible-thumper on this ship?" Jack raised his eyebrows in disbelief. The cook ran up to him and he took a sip from the pan that was offered before the young man ran off again.

"A Missionary's the story. What I heard, was he got captured in a raid. Rest of the ship got killed but not 'im. First mate wouldn't let it happen on account of his premier standing with the Lord," Scrum continued with his explanation, moving closer to Jack and crossing his arms. "A first mate sticking her neck out for some prisoner. That, you don't see."

Jack blinked, holding his hands up to stop him from speaking. "'Her'? First mate's a 'her'?"

"Back to work!" Gunner's bark made them jump and they scrambled to do as he said. But Jack paused momentarily, looking up at the ruby sails. They moved with the wind, furling upwards, and Angelica was revealed standing at the bridge. All Jack could do was stare.

Angelica looked down at the working crew, her hat casting a shadow over her eyes. "Steady as she goes."

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><p>.<p>

For Jack, answers couldn't come soon enough, and he despised every second he spent waiting for Angelica to walk down the stairs to the below deck. The moment she took a step on the flat floor, , he sprung up out of nowhere and Angelica let out a surprised gasp as he pulled her out of sight, pinning her to one of the thick, wooden beams with a hook at her throat.

"You are a ruthless, soulless, cross-grained cur," he hissed.

Angelica simply replied with a smug, "I told you I had a ship."

"No, Blackbeard has a ship, upon which I am now imprisoned."

"We can do this, Jack, the Fountain of Youth" Angelica smiled, changing the subject, moving towards him as if to kiss him but Jack pushed her back against the beam. "Like you always wanted."

Jack slowly lowered the hook and retreated a few steps. "Blackbeard. Edward Teach. The pirate all pirates fear. Resurrector of the dead in his spare time," he said lowly, moving back towards Angelica and resting his hand next to her head on the wooden beam behind her, raising the hook to her neck again.

"He will listen to me."

"He listens to no one."

"Maybe to his own daughter?"

Angelica's tone, expression and words made Jack blink, straighten up and pull his eyebrows together. "Daughter as in… beget by?"

The woman sighed wistfully, moving the hook away. "Long-lost. Recently found. Who loves her dear papa with all her soul?" She stared up at Jack with a wide-eyed look and an innocent smile.

Jack shook his head, taken aback. "He bought that?"

"I sold that."

The irritated pirate shoved Angelica into a hiding place behind a stack of barrels as one of the zombified members of the crew walked past. He waited for the large man to disappear around the corner and then turned to Angelica, hanging the hook on a thick iron ring above them. "Then it's the Fountain of Youth for him, or him and you. Not you and me."

"No, Jack, that's the best part." Angelica turned to him after making sure that no others were around. "He will be dead."

"Ah. You'll be handling that part yourself, then?"

Angelica smiled secretly, dropping her voice to a whisper. "There is a prophecy." She then thought twice, hesitating. "Maybe you don't believe in the Supernatural."

Jack shook his head, wincing at the memories that invaded his mind. "Oh, no, no. I've seen a thing or two," he assured her. A thing or two too many for his liking.

"There is a prophecy, seen by one of the members of our crew" Angelica began again, her eyes staring intently into Jack's own. "He's known as _eleri ipin, _which means 'witness of fate'. What he says comes true. He sees things happen before they happen. He's never wrong."

"I can do that too. If you don't count women, weather and other things that are hard to predict."

Ignoring his words, Angelica leaned forward, wrapping her fingers on the discarded hook. She moved Jack around, cornering him in a wall like he had done to her. "The prophecy is this: Blackbeard will meet his death within a fortnight at the hands of a one-legged man." She dragged the hook slowly down Jack's face before taking a step back. "That's why he needs the fountain, Jack."

He watched her leave with narrowed eyes. "Interesting…"

Angelica disappeared to the deck above but Jack was not so eager to get back to work. So while his slacking off remained undiscovered for the most part, he ventured down below, past the hold, until he was sure that he would not be disturbed. He needed to think and he couldn't do so through all the racket above. Fortunately, when he finally stopped near where the prisoners were held, the commands barked on the main deck where no more than whispers.

The captured men were asleep, or perhaps passed out from exhaustion or starvation and Jack rested against the large table in the room, his arms folded over his chest and a thumb to his lips. Blackbeard was running. The most feared pirate in the world was running scared. He would have smiled in delight if he wasn't on his ship.

"Voices carry, you know. And that was a _very_ interesting conversation up above, indeed."

Jack whirled around to one of the cells covered in darkness, his eyes wide. He recognised that voice. That soft, young, arrogant voice. "No. It can't be."

"Hi, Jack." There was a sharp intake of air as if the owner of the voice was wincing. When they next spoke, it was clear than they hadn't had water for a while. "Sorry. _Captain _Jack Sparrow. But then again, you always have to remind that to people and it would seem cruel to break the tradition."

"No, no, no..." Jack rounded the table, his feet taking him towards the cell. On the way, he took a lantern hanging on the wall and once he reached the cell, he raised it high above his head.

In the dim, golden light a young woman was revealed. Her skin darkened by the sun, thin wide lips and striking blue eyes, framed by long black hair. A portion was weaved into dreadlocks, adorned with thick metal beads carved with snakes. Her attire was nothing out of the usual on a pirate ship, a faded wine-coloured shirt, a brown vest and black pants secured with a thick belt. The latter Jack was used to seeing filled with knives and pouches of strangest ingredients but it was now empty, her things removed before she was thrown into the cell.

"Admete," Jack spoke up after a moment of silence, "what are you doing here?"

Last time they exchanged words he was in Tortuga, devising every plan he could think of how he would kill Barbossa for stealing his ship. She had found him the small boat he had used to start his search for the fountain, and then wondered off to not be seen again. Until now.

Admete leaned forward angrily and Jack caught the glint of the dark crystal hanging from her neck. "What am I doing here? I went and got myself kidnapped by our renowned captain, that's what. What are _you _doing here?"

"Signed up as part of the crew," Jack said simply.

"Ah," Admete nodded, a smile slowly spreading over her face. "Decided to put away the title of Captain?"

"Never," Jack growled fervently, offended no matter how light the jab was. The girl knew better than to even breathe the suggestion his way.

Admete shrugged. "Your loss. But it appears to me, _Captain," _she stood from her spot on the filthy ground and brushed off her pants, approaching the bars, "you're more often without a ship than you are with one."

Jack scanned the young woman from head to toe, now that she was clearer to see. She hadn't changed much since Cutler Beckett's war against piracy and the destruction of the _Endeavour_. In fact, she hadn't changed at all, which only proved the theories about her that began to formulate in his head the moment he met her. But from the questioning eyebrow she cocked at his scrutinising gaze, he guessed that she was still unaware of who she was. The thought made his lips quirk upwards.

Admete shifted uncomfortably under his gaze." You should go back above."

Jack looked around, not taking her advice. She looked better than the other prisoners but he could assume that was because she was in a better state to begin with. "How long have you been here?" He definitely didn't see her at the tavern, so she must have been taken aboard before him.

"Three days," the girl said anxiously, her eyes darting to the stairs. "But we can have this conversation later. Go."

Jack gave her one more look over and, hanging the lantern back on the wall, left without another word, an uneasy feeling stirring in the pit of his stomach. Nobody but him, Barbossa and a few select others should have known who she is. But if what she said was true and she was kidnapped – or tricked, Admete tended to be overdramatic with her words – aboard then it was bad. Angelica seemed to know a lot more than she let on, and it made Jack suspect that she also knew who Admete was. And that was not good. Not good at all.

.

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><p>.<p>

Author's Note: Okay, so I finally got round to starting to write a fic that's been hanging around in my brain for a while. Although updates might be slow as the exam period approaches.  
>This will be set during On Stranger Tides, with a couple of flashbacks to Dead Man's chest and At World's End, mostly involving Tia Dalma. Then if I'm still writing once I'm done with the movie's plot, I will put in a time-skip (10 years maybe, I don't know) and that's when the romance between the Cabin Boy and OC will truly blossom (at the moment, the age difference would make me uncomfortable to write anything but you'll see how I handle it in this fic, it's mostly platonic and one-sided). Not yet sure what I'm planning to do with the time-skip plot. The next film might be set in the time that is too soon than I'd like so I might go ahead and attempt an original story line, but I'm getting ahead of myself.<p> 


	2. Mutiny

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**Mutiny**

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_Two longboats made their way along the Pantano River, soon entering a swampy area with murky water and twisted roots sticking out above the surface. The tree branches hung low, brushing their heads and often they had to duck to avoid becoming tangled in the willowy leaves._

_Jack, Cotton and a dark skinned pirate sat in the boat at the front, while the rest of the small pirate party sat in the one trailing it. _

_William Turner was the first to speak, scanning his surroundings warily. A question had been nagging at his mind, a recent change in their party's eccentric leader that had piqued his curiosity. "Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?"_

_Gibbs shifted uncomfortably beside him. "Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast that does the bidding of Davy Jones. A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off and drag an entire ship past the crushing darkness... The Kraken!" Marty who was standing at the front of the boat near the bow, holding a gun, turned around at the mention of the name. Pintel and Ragetti exchanged a look, their eyes widening in fear. "They say the stench of its breath is like..." Gibbs shivered in both fear and disgust. "Imagine: the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken, and the reeking odour of a thousand rotting corpses." He looked around the boat, the men staring at him with wide eyes, and feigned a nonchalant smile, adding, "If you believe such things."_

_Will Turner didn't look amused, raising an eyebrow. "And the key will spare him that?"_

_"Well," Gibbs shrugged, "that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough even to go visit... Her."_

_Will blinked. "Her?"_

_"Aye."_

_The two boats continued moving along the river, falling under silence again. What they didn't know, was that a young woman was trailing after them. Had been ever since they neared the swamp. She passed through the darkness quickly and silently, concealed in the trees and the fog and the natives who stood near the river, staring at the pirates that entered their land, their dark skin causing them to become almost one with their surroundings, resulting in the pirates startling whenever they caught sight of their still forms._

_She had been hunting and clutched a bow in her hands, when her eyes that were on the target were distracted when she caught sight of them. She could see Jack in the boat at the front, if not smell him a mile off, and that was only from the stories her mentor had told her. She knew immediately why they were there. Jack Sparrow wanted to consult Tia Dalma._

_What trouble was he bringing to them now?_

_She stalked them like a creature of the forest, pouncing from tree to tree, jumping down to the grass when needed and continuing past the bushes and wild flowers, barely rustling a leaf. _

_The two boats neared a bayou and Tia's shack drew closer. Admete wrapped a thick vine around her hand and swung across to the other side of the river, landing as quietly as if she had done nothing more than taken a step. Then she disappeared into the shadows, running to her home as fast as she could._

_Still, her movement caused a gush of wind and the pirates turned to look behind them. All they saw was the same dark swamp they could see in front of them. They frowned, turning back around and trying to ignore the feeling of eyes on their backs._

_An iguana on a fallen tree trunk on the left caught and ate a firefly with a quick slurping sound. There were more and more people, seen standing in the dark amongst the trees. _

_The boats stopped at the shack and Jack stepped onto the small docking area, holding onto the ladder for support, and then turned around, his hands on his belt as he addressed his crew._

_"No worries, mates. Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable, we are." His smile fell and he shifted awkwardly, his eyes cast downwards. "Were... Have been… Before."_

_Gibbs stood next to him and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "I'll watch your back."_

_"It's me front I'm worried about," Jack murmured. Collecting himself, he said to Gibbs, "Mind the boat."_

_Gibbs relayed those words to Will, who in turn said them to Ragetti, who repeated them to Pintel who said them to Marty, who leaned close to Cotton and repeated, "Mind the boat," before climbing onto the dock. Cotton's parrot called out the same words before flying off in a flutter of wings._

_Cotton was left alone in the long boat and he sat down dejectedly, holding onto the wooden peg of the dock._

_Admete waited until all but one climbed the ladder to stand in front of Tia Dalma's door before she made her move._

_The pirates froze when they heard a sound of an arrow fly by them, piercing the water behind them. All turned simultaneously to find nothing but Cotton silently staring after them. Noticing their confused looks, the old pirate turned over his own shoulder but when he found the water undisturbed and turned back, all he could offer them was a shrug of his shoulders. Almost annoyed, some a little disturbed, the group turned back only to see a sharp arrow pointed at them. An arrow in a drawn-back bow._

_They froze, their eyes wide. Ragetti and Pintel crossed their eyes in fear and swallowed nervously._

_Jack looked around when the air grew tense and threw his arms out with a grin. "Hello, there."_

_"Who are you?" Admete demanded, narrowing her eyes. She knew who he was, obviously – she had seen him before, even if from a distance – but the pirates behind him had unfamiliar faces._

_"Captain Jack Sparrow," the pirate introduced himself, waving his hands in his signature introductory bow, and jabbed a thumb to the others behind him. "These are my trusted crew: Gibbs, young Will over there—" The man with dark hair rolled his eyes. "—Ragetti, Pintel and Marty." _

_"Awk, mind the boat!" A parrot perched on one of the steps of the ladder squawked, feeling left out._

_"We're here to see Tia Dalma," Jack continued. He knew the girl was no threat. He had never seen the girl that Tia Dalma had taken in but the voodoo priestess had mentioned having a helping hand, and he could have guessed easily who that was. Although he couldn't shake a feeling that he'd seen her somewhere before, in very different circumstances. "So, are you gonna let us in to see her or shoot us and let a wonderful business opportunity sail past?"_

_When the girl didn't answer, Gibbs genuinely thought she was going to let the arrow go and shoot Jack straight between the eyes. But then she blinked and lowered her bow, not saying a single word as she turned away. _

_Some pirates behind Jack exhaled sighs of relief and William Turner watched her walk away and open the door curiously. He could have sworn she had appeared out of thin air. "Who is she?" he asked Jack in a hushed whisper._

_The pirate shrugged. "No idea."_

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><p>.<p>

Honestly, Admete had no one to blame for her current predicament but herself.

While enjoying a drink at a tavern – and eyeing a wealthy fellow with a big money purse she could steal – she heard that the one and only Jack Sparrow was in town and hiring. So she had downed her drink and set on a search for him – she was eager to get back on a ship and sailing under Jack meant more than pillaging. It meant adventure.

She was also curious to find out how was it that Jack got the _Pearl_ back. Last time she checked, he was gaping and spluttering at his beloved boat, no larger than a peanut in the horizon after Barbossa had sailed off with it – _again._

But as it turned out, there was no _Black Pearl, _and the whole thing was a trap. And when she realised that Jack was not Jack at all but a rather beautiful woman from Jack's past, it was too late. She woke up in a hot and wet cell with little memory of what happened the night before.

Fortunately, Angelica had come down to elaborate. She was the only one to officially pay her a visit since she had been captured, to explain why she was on this ship and where they were headed. She was even generous enough to spare her blind hope and tell her exactly what fate awaited her, and Admete was glad that she let all the information loose during a single visit. She didn't want to see the Quartermaster again, the pale zombie pirate who had spat the dart into her neck. During the short second before passing out she managed to pluck it out and sniff it, and she recognised the smell of the concoction the dart was dipped in as a sleep-inducing elixir.

His very existence, even to her, was worrying. Like her mentor and teacher, Tia Dalma – or perhaps she was _Calypso now,_ Tia Dalma no more – she could see some things in stones and parts of animals people feed to the dogs. Glimpses into the future that were distorted and little more than fog. But the Quartermaster was gifted with second sight. He could see things before they came true, and they _always _came true.

For one man to hold such a power... Admete didn't even bother to suppress the shivers that ran through her. She would have rather faced a dozen crewman of the _Flying Dutchman_, back when they were under Davy Jones's command, than have the Quartermaster's cold, blue eyes fixed on her. To say that they unnerved her would be an understatement.

She couldn't remember the last time she felt afraid, or the last time she had admitted that to herself, but she was. Her only comforting thought was that while the Quartermaster had seen Blackbeard's demise, despite being on a journey that will take her to her death Admete had not heard how her story would end from the Quartermaster himself. It was a small fragment of hope that perhaps she might survive this. No... She _will _survive this, she reminded herself.

Admete sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. This damned ship was draining her spirits, while the dark Voodoo that Blackbeard practised charged the air around her, scratching her senses. She wasn't used to being surrounded by so much negative energy, Tia Dalma had always taught her to stay away unless in great need.

Hushed whispers of voices brought Admete back to the present and when Jack Sparrow returned to the brig, over a dozen pairs of footsteps followed and even in the dark Admete knew that he wasn't alone.

During her stay on _Queen Anne's Revenge_ so far, Admete was mostly left alone to her thoughts. There were more prisoners in the cells next to hers – she had to at least thank Angelica for putting her in a cell of her own – but they remained asleep for most of the time she was there. Apart from a few leers and whistles they stayed away after she punched one of them through the gap between the bars and threatened them with Voodoo curses.

Admete blinked when Jack sat down at the head of the table and lit a candle, illuminating the room in a warm light. But she didn't move closer. Instead she stared blankly at all the crew members sitting around the table, remaining in her spot on the floor, sitting up against the wall.

The crew members knew she was there, but since she threw them glares whenever any of them came close they stayed away – in her defence, they looked at her like a slab of meat to warm their beds. Only one could get away with resting against the bars without Admete snarling at him. A young man with dark skin, not much older than her, but he had a kind, even if exhausted look in his eyes. He answered to the name 'Baako'. He had brought her food earlier, taking pity when he was told to check on the prisoners and saw how sick she looked. And while Admete didn't like people pitying her, and had an inkling he only helped her because she was a woman, she was never one to turn down food, no matter how horrible, especially when she was starving. She had thanked him eagerly, as did her stomach. He merely nodded with a small smile.

He was too nice to be on a vessel such as this.

Sitting up, Admete finished scanning the faces in the room before her eyes landed on Jack again, curious as to why he brought the ship's entire crew to the brig. Her unasked question was answered soon enough.

"The topic, gentlemen, is mutiny," he began, blowing the out the stick he used to light the candle and placing it down on the table. Admete rolled her eyes. Out of all the plans Jack could have come up with, he chose _that? _ "Mutiny most foul."

Admete wanted to ask if there was any other kind of mutiny but she bit her tongue.

Salaman, sitting closest to Jack nodded. "Aye. I signed up to sail under Captain Jack Sparrow, not some pretender."

"And a lady at that," Ezekiel, a wizened pirate added. Admete snorted, but the crew ignored her.

Cook looked around him as if the walls could hear him as he said, "And mention was failed to be made of this uncanny crew."

"Make my toes curl, they do," piped up Purser, another older pirate with silver hair.

The cabin boy appeared from above, his arms full of swords which he unceremoniously dumped on the table. Admete looked at him curiously, he was the youngest child she had ever seen on a pirate ship. Actually serving on one, cabin boy or not. But she knew it wasn't as strange as it seemed to her.

"I got 'em," the boy grinned proudly. "All of 'em."

"Aye, Good lad!" The crew chorused their congratulations.

Even Jack let out a quick but genuine, "Well done."

The cabin boy leaned on the table, his face serious again as he turned his ears and eyes towards Jack. Admete frowned when she saw the adoration in his eyes that never dimmed since he found out who the true Jack Sparrow was. People putting so much trust in Jack was never a good thing. They would only turn bitter when he betrayed them. It would be their own fault of course, for putting so much hope in a pirate that had a reputation of thinking only for himself, but it wouldn't change how they would feel either way.

"On to it, then. Blackbeard," Jack said, gathering everyone's attention once again, the crew quieting. "What are his habits?"

"Stays mostly to his cabin?" suggested Scrum.

"That's right, stays mostly to his cabin," Ezekiel agreed, along with the murmurs of the rest of the crew.

"Yes, but when he comes out…" Jack tried again. All he got were blank looks.

The cabin boy shook his head. "He don't really come out."

There was an awkward silence during which Admete rolled her eyes and laughed silently at the ceiling. She wasn't sure who she felt sorrier for, Jack or the crew. She herself was just fine with never having laid eyes on the feared pirate captain.

Jack looked around the table warily. "...He must come out sometime."

"Not really, no," was another chorus of replies.

Jack pulled a face and glanced to the side at Admete who shrugged in return, causing him to frown. The rest of the crew followed his line of sight, but most turned away abruptly the moment Jack faced the front, apart from the cabin boy whose eyes lingered on the girl in the cell, half immersed in darkness. She met his eyes and held his gaze for a moment before turning to Jack, thus making the boy do the same.

Jack searched his brain. "Any of you sail with him before?" The crew mumbled their 'no's. "Any of you _seen _him before?" That question elicited the exact same response as previous ones. Jack nodded to himself. "Stays mostly to his cabin, no one sailed with him, no one's seen him. Good news, gentlemen. This is not Blackbeard's ship." The crew grinned and Admete audibly groaned at their stupidity. "This is not the _Queen Anne's Revenge."_

"No, this be the _Queen Anne's Revenge_ right enough," Scrum said with a shake of his head.

"How do you know?" Jack challenged.

"I've seen the name, on the back of the ship," Scrum grinned, pleased with himself.

Jack stared at him unamused and then sighed. There was another silence. Despite Scrum's reassurance, the atmosphere fell in temperate as realisation washed over the crew. Jack sat up, and placed both of his hands on the table. "Gentlemen, sirs, fellow concriptees, you have been monstrously deceived."

"We are decepted, then?" Salaman asked.

"Yes," said Jack with a roll of his eyes. "You've nay been informed of a destination. Death lies before us as we sail for the Fountain of Youth." All breathing stopped. A pirate who had been turning a coin froze, the cabin boy's mouth hung open and Ezekiel snapped his pencil in two. Even Baako stiffened. Admete didn't even blink for she already knew the truth, but the words did sound sinister coming from Jack. "It would be a sorry plight, mates."

A pirate by the name of Derrick breathed, "Death... for certain."

Garheng, a stocky man Admete believed to be from Singapore looked down at his feet. "The garden of darkened souls."

"Untimely our deaths will be," Ezekiel whispered, letting the pencil shards clatter to the table.

"Unless," Jack stood with a mischievous smile, "we take the ship."

Scrum sprung up from his seat, grabbed one of the swords and jabbed it into the table. "We take the ship, then. Now!" he yelled and ran off loudly up the stairs.

Silence followed. Jack broke it by waving his hands for the rest of the crew to follow suit. "…Go on, then."

And 'go on' they did.

"Help me, shipmates!"

"Give it to 'em!"

Every man of the crew roared as they grabbed the swords and charged upstairs, waking the rest of the crew on their way and handing them weapons.

_"Wake up. It's ours."_

_"Come on!"_

_"Get up! Off your backside!"_

Admete stared at the stairs the riot has left through, hearing the commotion on the deck above, and turned to Jack. He walked over to her and unlocked the door quickly. She frowned when he offered her a grin, thankfully not moving towards the other prisoners, and moved to leave. He paused when she grabbed his arm, keeping him in place, and threw an annoyed look over his shoulder.

"What?"

"Jack... This _is_ Blackbeard's ship."

The pirate blinked and the confident grin as back on his face. "No it's not."

"Don't be a fool!" Admete hissed, roughly letting go of his arm, and stroked the wooden partial wall separating the brig cells. "It is alive, Jack. I can hear it when it moves. Whispers to its master."

The manner in which she spoke and the look in her eyes made Jack pull a face at how much she resembled Tia Dalma when she spoke that way. "Don't do that. It's creepy."

Admete turned to him and smirked, "I learn from the best."

_"Get off your fannies!"_

_"Take it to them lads!"_

_"Come on! Fight with me!"_

Admete looked up at the noise and then lowered her eyes, meeting Jack's own. She repeated her words unblinkingly. "This is Blackbeard's ship."

Jack smirked. "I guess we'll find out which one of us is right."

Admete rolled her eyes as she watched him go, stubbornly refusing to believe her. As other prisoners continued wailing she snapped at them to shut up. They shrank back, but didn't stop talking. She sighed and shook her head and then looked towards a couple of left over swords on the table. She took the largest one she could find, smiling fondly at the familiar weight, and hurried up the stairs towards the fight, even if she knew it was useless.

But she decided she could at least try and save a few of those useless men. If any of them had any dreams of being honest sailors after this, such thoughts will die after tonight. They were mutineers now – proper pirates. And once a pirate, always a pirate.

Jack didn't acknowledge her when she passed him, the pirate captain sneaking off not towards the battle but towards Angelica's quarters. She rolled her eyes, heading for the main deck. Admete jumped out of the way as one of the crew members tumbled down the stairs and then tightening the grip on her sword, rushed up the stairs with a war cry.

The first fight she laid eyes on was the cabin boy clashing swords with one of Blackbeard's crew, and avoiding a pirate that was thrown backwards by Gunner she ran to help him. There was admirable bravery in the way he swung his sword but he was visibly beginning to tire, he was only a child and he was fighting a rather large zombie. Yeoman.

Admete raced past Scrum and another pirate dodging a zombie's blows whom she slashed at the back when she passed him. It didn't do much, but it distracted the animated corpse long enough for Scrum and his partner to get in a few blows – after they recovered from the surprise of seeing her out of the cage – before they reverted back to dodging the swings of the zombie's sword.

Admate reached the cabin boy and swung the blade at Yeoman's head. The zombie didn't anticipate the attack and stumbled back and the cabin boy pushed him over a barrel. The young boy grinned and whirled around to Admete, breathing heavily from the fight.

"I'm Louis!" he yelled over the shouting around them and the sound of swords clashing.

Admete glanced at him through the corner of her eyes, her sword pointed at Yeoman who was already rising to his feet. "Curious time for introductions."

The cabin boy didn't drop the smile, leaping over the barrels and pouncing on the zombie, running his sword through his arm. Admete stared, surprised, before following suit.

Quartermaster knocked a man over a cannon and turned around just as a pirate stabbed him all the way through the chest. The pirate stumbled back in fear when it had no effect and the Quartermaster pulled the sword out, throwing it away and used his own to slash at the pirate's head.

Below deck, Jack was slowly trying to make his way while avoiding fighting at all costs. He was doing quite well too, not stopping even when he walked past a zombie slamming a man against the wall. But then he was spotted by Gunner who yelled out and advanced towards him with a heavy axe in his hands.

"Boggit," Jack cursed.

Gunner swung the sword at Jack who dodged. The dark skinned zombie kept swinging and slashing at Jack, backing him towards the stairs and Jack eventually managed to trip him. He didn't wait for him to recover and ran up the stairs to the main deck, rolling out of the way when Gunner chased after him and swung his axe down. Rising to his feet, Jack avoided the first swipe at his head, blocked the second with his own sword and then head-butted Gunner, bolting away when the zombie stumbled back.

Angelica appeared on deck, finally gotten free, her expression one of pure rage and started battling the pirates herself. She spotted Admete but before the younger woman could even notice her, a group of pirates jumped in Angelica's path and surrounded her, leering. She swung her sword, blocking every swipe at her, fighting four pirates at once.

Jack lured Gunner to the middle of the deck and as the zombie swung his axe, Jack ducked out of the way and the weapon was imbedded in the mast. Salaman tossed a net down from above and Gunner struggled against his new bonds. Jack glanced up and saw that the missionary, whose name he had learned was Philip, was still tied up and staring down at the fight nervously. He gave a nod to Salaman who caught his train of thought and they both began to climb the rigging to free the missionary as the Cook leaped on top of Gunner.

After the cabin boy – or Louis, as he had proudly introduced himself – stabbed Yeoman in the arm, Admete ran her own sword through the other. As he struggled Admete and Louis avoided his kicks and nodded at each other. At the same time, they pulled out their swords, only to drive them through the zombie's legs. Yeoman sat up to pull the swords out but they pulled them out before he could get to them. The pirates jumped back when the net dropped from above, surprising them, but reacted quickly. They got to work and put their swords and every discarded one they could find into the holes in the net. Yeoman struggled against the net – the zombies might have been strong but they weren't the brightest bunch – and soon enough Louis had wrapped a rope around him five times, and Admete secured it. The two looked up to see who helped them and saw Baako who cheered at them, holding up his sword in the air. They joined him, wide grins on their faces.

Meanwhile, Angelica managed to fight off the pirates and just as she reached Admete, she turned her sword in her hand and aimed to hit Admete with the handle to the back of the head. She couldn't harm her after all, they needed her alive. However, the cabin boy alerted Admete and she ducked, spinning around, and then rising to her feet, kicked Angelica in the stomach. Angelica grunted in pain and stumbled back, and two pirates pounced. Admete retrieved her sword since it was no longer needed to hold down the net and went back to helping the pirates battle the zombies, fighting back to back with Louis.

Jack and Salaman have reached Philip and Salaman unsheathed a knife, holding it up to the man's throat. "You're either with us, or against us!"

"I am not with you, neither am I against you!" the man's voice barely reached their ears over the commotion.

Salaman lowered his knife, turning to Jack in confusion at Phillip's choice. "Can he do that?"

"He's religious. I believe it's required," Jack said and then sliced the ropes keeping Philip tied to the mast. The man grabbed hold off the rigging with a gasp, holding onto the rope with a deathly grip.

Jack climbed down and held onto the rigging, hollering at the mutineers. "Fight to the bitter end, you cack-handed deck apes!"

Quartermaster whirled to him at his outburst. He threw the pirate he was fighting over his shoulder and advanced. Another pirate intervened just as he reached Jack and the mutiny leader swung out of the way of the fighting pair and the Quartermaster, throwing his opponent to the side, followed him. Jack ran up a few stairs and turning around, clashed swords with the zombie. After a few of his thrusts, he managed to stomp on his sword and kick him away, Quartermaster falling to the ground.

"Take him, men. Tie him down tight!" Jack yelled at the pirates, who were already moving to do as he said, and ran up the rest of the stairs. Salaman and Garheng used a mop to apprehend the pale zombie and tie his arms to it.

Jack stood at the Captain Cabin's balcony and proudly watched the scene below him. Angelica was pushed to a barrel, restrained by several pirates. All over the deck, the pirates were overpowering the zombies. Gunner was still restrained by a net, grunting in anger as he tried to get free. Yeoman had managed to get free but was immediately attacked by some pirates. Admete was pushing the Master-at-Arms into a pair of pirates who awaited with open arms.

Raising his hands in victory, Jack proclaimed, "The ship is ours!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the doors behind him suddenly swung open, revealing a shadow of a man standing inside. Jack's smile dropped as quickly as his arms did when he turned, eyes wide.

The pirates ceased their celebrating, freezing and staring in horror at the source of echoing footsteps. Slowly, the shape became clearer with every step he took to reveal the very man they were dreading to ever see with their own eyes. Blackbeard.

His clothes were dark, heavy and aged, and Admete took an involuntary step back. He was even more terrifying that the stories she's heard. The tales truly did him little justice. His eyes were filled with a dark knowledge, smoke rising from his entire form as if his very being was hotter than the fire torches in his cabin.

He took a swig from a bottle in his hands and then lowered it as he stepped onto the balcony. The wind ruffled the sails and Blackbeard's beard, and chilled the skin of the mutineers on the deck as they looked up at him in fear.

As Blackbeard's eyes settled on Jack, the pirate awkwardly moved out of the way. The infamous and feared captain ran his eyes over the scene below. Angelica, her hair ruffled from the fight, tossed a rope down that the pirates were going to use to tie her up. Admete swallowed, tightening the grip on her sword even if she knew it was useless. The cook could do nothing more than watch as next to him, Gunner removed the net from over his head, finally free.

"Gentlemen." Blackbeard shook his head and took another swig of his drink before throwing the bottle onto the deck below where it smashed at the foot of the stairs, just in front of Jack. The pirate froze and gulped, after a moment continuing on his way to join the rest of the pirates on the main deck. "I be placed in a bewilderment. There I were, resting, and upon a sudden, I hear an ungodly row on deck."

He stroked the jewels on his sword and the rigging began to move on its own, too silently for others to hear. The ropes slithered along the floor like snakes.

Blackbeard continued, his voice resonating through the ship. "Sailors abandon their posts, without orders without leave." His eyes fell on Admete and when she refused to look up, they flickered towards his daughter who was slowly making her way up the stairs towards him. "Men before the mast, taking the ship for themselves… What be that, First Mate?"

"Mutiny, Captain," Angelica said without hesitation, gripping the railing behind her.

Blackbeard raised a hand to his ear and asked, "Again?"

"Mutiny!"

"Aye. Mutiny. And what fate befalls mutineers?" he asked in a conversational tone, lowering his hand and drawing his sword out of its sheath. "Now, we know the answer to that, do we not?"

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

Author's Note: I chose to name the cabin boy Louis, after Louis Arot, and simply because it would have been a popular French name at the time anyway (I think). I don't think a last name will be needed, but if it is, then I'll probably go with Rousseau or some other common name.


	3. Greek Fire

**.**

**Greek Fire**

**.**

"Mutineers, hang!"

Blackbeard jabbed his sword in the air. The pirates fell with startled yells as the sails fell and _Queen Anne's Revenge_ suddenly lurched forward. Blackbeard lowered his sword, pointing it at the deck and a pirate was caught by a rope that snatched at his ankles like snake, and dragged him back when he tried to run. As the Sword of Triton moved to the side, every single one of the mutineers were grabbed by the ropes and swung into the air. One pirate tried to flee by jumping overboard and was caught by the ropes wrapping around his waist and they brought him back, swinging from side to side.

Admete screamed as she was grabbed by a leg and her head painfully banged against a barrel as she was lifted into the air so high, she could see the sea on either side of the ship. She choked, her hair falling into her face, already feeling the blood rush to her head. Yells to her side alerted her that Louis and Baako were also lifted high, the cabin boy waving his arms and legs wildly as if he was swimming.

Blackbeard watched as _Revenge_ secured his crew, with a satisfied smile on his face, setting the sword on his shoulder. Suddenly Jack dropped in front of him from above, suspended by a rope around one of his knees.

"Captain, I wish to report a mutiny," he blurted out. Blackbeard stared. "I can name fingers and point names."

"No need, Mr Sparrow. They are sheep. You, their shepherd," Blackbeard drawled, pointing his sword at Jack before sheathing it. Jack was released and fell to the ground, groaning when his back came into contact with the wooden floor. When he opened his eyes, Blackbeard and Angelica have already made their way down the stairs and were hovering over him.

"Have I mentioned, sir, what a lovely daughter you have?" Jack asked testily.

Blackbeard pulled a pistol a pointed it at him, Jack's hands flying up. "A fitting last sight for a doomed soul."

Angelica leaned close to her father and whispered, "Remember, father. We need him."

Blackbeard turned to the young woman by his side and the way he said his next words, he could have been sulking. "If I don't kill a man every now and then, they forget who I am."

"Coward!" The feared pirate looked up curiously as Philip, the only one besides Blackbeard's crew who hasn't been tied up, approached him, pointing his small bible at him as he continued to speak. "They do not forget. Your crew sees you for the miscreant you are. A coward, no matter how many you slay!" He was stopped by Quartermaster holding up a sword in front of him. Philip looked down at the weapon and then glared up at the pirate captain before him.

"Twice in one day, I find myself in a bewilderment."

"You are not bewildered, you are afraid." At those words, Blackbeard took a threatening step towards Philip though his expression was one of curiosity. "You dare not walk the path of righteousness, the way of the light."

Blackbeard could have smiled. "No, sir, the truth is it be much simpler than all that. I am a bad man," he said, turning to walk away.

"That, too."

"I might have to kill you too, catechist," the pirate captain said irritably, turning back to the religious man and pointing his gun at him, the gun that Angelica abruptly lowered.

"No!"

"All Latin blood like her mother," Blackbeard chuckled, but not without disappointment at the lack of smoke rising from the barrel of his weapon.

"Father, I beg you," Angelica pleaded passionately, standing between her father and Philip.

"Ah," Blackbeard nodded resignedly. "There I be again, forgetting why the missionary is here. My daughter fears for my soul, or what's left of it." He raised his hand and gently stroked Angelica's face. "You truly wish to save me, my child?"

"Every soul can be saved."

Blackbeard seemed to calculate Angelica's words and then his eyes flickered to the missionary for confirmation. "Be that true, young cleric?"

"Yes. Though you I see as a bit of a long shot," Philip couldn't resist adding. But then he sobered and swallowed, holding his head high. "Still I pray for every unfortunate soul on this hell-bound vessel."

"You disarm me with your faith," the captain remarked, putting his gun away. He moved forward and addressed the pirates restrained by the ropes. "Eight bells! Which of you unfortunate souls stood watch?"

Jack shot up into a sitting position, a finger in the air. "I did. I stood watch."

Blackbeard gave another sinister chuckle with a light shake of his head. "Gunner." He trailed his eyes to the pirate the zombie pointed at. "You?"

The cook swallowed and tried to answer bravely. "Aye."

"Aye. The Cook. Perfect. Lower the longboat!"

The ropes released the mutineers and they all fell to the deck, groaning in pain from the impact. Only the Cook remained. The crew rose to their feet but could do little more than watch in fear as Gunner lowered the longboat into the water and the ropes threw the Cook into them. None of the crew dared to protest. As Admete stood, she grabbed hold of the sword she dropped, but she didn't dare to raise the weapon.

She slowly moved to the side of the ship to see that the Cook had begun rowing away in fear. He didn't get too far until Blackbeard moved towards the front of the ship, giving out orders. "Bring her about!"

As most of the crew scrambled to do as told, Admete slowly neared the front of the ship, trying to stay out of Blackbeard's sight whose daughter was running to stand by his side, demanding, "Why do you do this?"

"Mutiny," Blackbeard replied simply. "Our laws be clear."

"Our laws allow the Captain to show leniency," Angelica tried to reason.

"I have given this man a chance to determine his fate, a gift not afforded to all," he said firmly, his final words on the matter. Angelica looked away and tentatively turned back to the Cook who was desperately trying to row away. Blackbeard noticed that Philip was watching tensely with a look of horror. "Oh, you now. Chance to show the worth of your prayers? Pray he be delivered from… evil?" he taunted. The missionary didn't speak up and Blackbeard raised his hand. "Course made!"

Philip stepped forward, his eyes begging. "Stop. Give that man a chance. Give yourself a—"

Just then, a great Greek Fire flared out from the stem of the ship. The Cook ducked for cover but it was useless, the small boat offered no hiding place from the flames. Blackbeard smiled cruelly and the pirates looked on in disbelief, seeing such a weapon with their own eyes for the first time. Angelica shook her head and walked away, unable to look at the sight for any longer. Philip moved to stand where Angelica was not moments ago, still staring at the burning boat with wide eyes.

"You know when I feel closest to our Maker?" Blackbeard asked, sensing his presence. "When I see suffering, pain and anguish. That's when the true design of this world is revealed."

Philip stepped forward, raising his chin bravely. "And I see it revealed when it times of hardship and tragedy, kindness and compassion are shown to those in need."

"Perhaps you should pray for him to be unharmed, yes?"

Philip slammed his bible on the rail in frustration, "Please, there's still hope—"

"Again!"

Upon orders, _Queen Anne's Revenge_ breathed fire once again.

Philip took a step back in fear, momentarily blinded by the flames and looked around for someone, for anyone to back him up, but Admete was the only one who meets his eyes and hers were not friendly.

"Save your words for someone who will listen, preacher-man," her words barely reached him, as if they were only meant for her own ears. "You're on a pirate ship. They don't care what your god has to say."

The crew watched on, fire reflecting in their eyes, and Blackbeard turned to leave. He was about to walk straight past Angelica, who was pointedly refusing to look at the fire, when she spoke up. "What about her?"

Blackbeard looked up to see Angelica rolling her eyes towards Admete who was watching the fire intently. Blackbeard thought for a moment and then resumed walking back to his cabin as if he had never stopped, saying over his shoulder, "She can join the crew. Might as well stretch her legs while she still has them."

Admete heard his words, as did a couple of the surrounding pirates who turned to the girl in confusion, but she ignored them, keeping her eyes rooted to the flames. Their small movement, however, let her know that the rest of the crew were not informed of what awaits her.

Jack turned, eager to say something but was silenced by the Quartermaster grabbing him by the front of his shirt, and dragging him towards the Captain's cabin.

Angelica barked at people to get to bed, and to those who are to work through the night, to get to work. She stormed over to Admete and blocked her view of the fire. "You." She pointed her finger at her and then lowered it, still seething with anger from the fact that Blackbeard didn't listen. After a moment she collected herself. "You will not try and escape."

"I will not try to escape," Admete repeated back to her sincerely. Where would she run? She would drown before she reached any land, and that's if the ropes didn't simply slung her back in if she as much as set a foot outside the boat. Angelica looked like she wanted to add something else, but resorted not to, and nodded and stomped off to her quarters.

As the crew began to disperse, the Cook's boat was still burning, Philip approached Admete slowly. "I believe the cellars were safer for you."

Admete threw him a confused look, puzzled by his statement and then followed his line of sight, over her shoulder. A few men – not many, but more than she would have liked – have recovered from the fright and were staring at her intently. Admete gave out a disgusted scoff and shook her head.

Philip shuffled his feet awkwardly. "It is not safe for a woman to sleep amongst the crewmen. Perhaps I should try and find two hammocks close to each other for you and I—"

Admete should have thought carefully before saying her next words, but she didn't. If Tia Dalma had heard her, she would have smacked her upside her head. She always taught her pupil to respect other religions. But Admete was angry and tired and starved and she could still see the cook burning in the corner of her eyes. She couldn't help herself.

"And what?" When Admete interrupted him, Philip's voice died in his throat. "You protect me? You and your bible?" Philip opened his mouth to retort but she shook her head. "I have seen things that you wouldn't dream of in your worst nightmares and seen many a battle and survived, preacher-man. I know how to take care of myself. Now you – you are the one who needs looking after."

Philip was caught between being surprised and offended and Admete gave the burning boat one last look before walking away.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

The Quartermaster stuck a knife through Jack's shirt, pinning him to the bark of the tree that was acting as a support for the roof. The pale zombie didn't step back after, instead standing where he was, staring at Jack with that intense, empty stare.

Jack squirmed under it, addressing Blackbeard who was locking an iron gate to a pair of thick wooden doors. "I actually have no interest in the fountain whatsoever, so, if your heart is set, you may drop me off anywhere you like."

"That'll be all, Quartermaster." The pale zombie left the Captain's Cabin and Blackbeard finally turned to Jack. "Your words surround you like fog and make you hard to see."

"And what of you, the mighty Blackbeard? Beheaded, they say. Still, your body swam three times around your ship, then climbed onboard." Blackbeard slowly approached Jack as the pirate spoke, his eyes narrowing in inspection. "And here you are, running scared."

Blackbeard stopped in front of Jack and nodded to himself, turning back around as he echoed Jack's words. "Scared."

"To the fountain."

"The Quartermaster sees things before they happen," Blackbeard clarified to the confused pirate, throwing his keys on the deck, littered in old parchments, books, candles and skulls, moving to sit down at his large chair. "He has foreseen me death, and so the fates have spoken. The threads of destiny woven."

Jack glanced at the knife pinning him to the wood as Blackbeard began to inspect a sheet of paper. He had heard the story from Angelica already, but he pretended to be hearing it for the first time, if only to stall for time. "You have a ridiculously high regard for fate, mate."

"And you?"

"Me? I'm skeptical of predicting any future… which includes me." Jack tried to reach for the knife without alerting the other captain.

"It be foolish to _battle _faith, but I'd be tempted to cheat it," Blackbeard said, seemingly unaware that Jack had pulled out the knife and was slowly moving towards him. "I will reach the fountain. You will lead me. And Admete will play out her role once we're there."

Jack raised his hand, the knife pointed as if to stab him but Blackbeard's next words made him freeze. "That knife will serve you no better than the mutiny you devised."

Jack didn't dwell on the embarrassment at being caught and recovered quickly, putting on a smile. "Mutiny served me well. It gained me an audience with you."

That time, Blackbeard looked up in interest. "Oh?"

"Aye. To warn you," Jack said, slamming the knife into the table where it remained upright, imbedded in the wood. "Regarding your first mate. Who pretends to be persons she is not."

Blackbeard sat up, narrowing his eyes. "Do tell."

Jack leaned in close, "She is not your daughter."

Blackbeard stared at him in disbelief. "You dare to speak thusly of my flesh and blood? In case it hadn't been mentioned to you, Angelica was the one to bring Admete to me. Only on the second day since the prophecy."

"Sir. The woman is consummate in the art of deception. I know. As I mostly unwittingly set her on the wicked path," Jack insisted but Blackbeard wasn't paying him attention as he worked on a small voodoo doll in his hands. "Though I cannot claim credit for her existing abundance in natural talent."

Blackbeard held up the doll and Jack blinked before squinting at it, not missing how alike it looked to him even from the back. "Angelica," Blackbeard began, his expression calculated. "My beloved daughter, the one true good thing I have done in this life, and you claim to be the one who corrupted her?"

"Sir. What she is, is pure evil. More to be feared than a wild beast. Hungry wild beast, with gnashing teeth! Vengeful, hungry, from hell, beast—"

Angelica burst through the door into the cabin, calling, "Father!"

"—Sweetness!" Jack finished, whirling around with a wide grin. He keeled over in pain however, when Blackbeard stabbed the voodoo doll with the knife.

"No need to hurt him, Father," Angelica continued less urgently, strolling over to Jack who eyed the voodoo doll with a glare. "He will help us. Won't you, Jack?"

Jack was in pain, feeling as if a sword was thrust into his stomach, so he could barely manage a nod of his head.

"You see? Even now, she attends to your welfare," Blackbeard said as if to prove a point as he carved into the doll's chest carefully. "Giving lie to the claims you make of her." When he made the final slash, Jack jerked backwards against a barrel, resting his weight on it. He pulled open his shirt, staring down at the fresh trident scar on his chest with a wince.

Angelica stood beside him, one hand on her waist. "You _will _lead us to the fountain, yes?"

Blackbeard didn't give him a chance to even attempt an answer. "Put it another way. If I do not make it to the fountain in time…" He dangled the voodoo doll over a candle, the flames licking its head. "…Neither will you."

Jack clutched his head in pain, gritting his teeth. The pain was unbearable, but he managed to throw Blackbeard an uneasy look. "I will have a wee look-see at those charts straightaway then, shall I?"

It wasn't until Blackbeard took him to the chart room that Jack braved to ask the question that's been hovering above his head. He rested on the edge of the large table, maps outstretched in front of them and looked up at the man who was gazing at him expectantly. "What is Admete doing on the _Revenge?" _Blackbeard had mentioned something about her fulfilling her role once they're at the fountain, but he had no idea what that role could be.

Angelica threw Jack a sideways glance, standing by a fire torch, her skin glowing and shadows dancing over her face. "She signed up," she retorted, her tone suggesting that she didn't want the conversation to go there. But Jack didn't take the hint, or refused to.

"Really? She said she was kidnapped. Funny, that."

Blackbeard stepped forward and Jack immediately leaned over the table, directing his attention to the maps. One small island looked particularly interesting. "When I first found out about the prophecy, I wanted to find the crystal of immortality."

Jack frowned at the apparent change of subject. "That piece of rock slung around the girl's neck? Even if there is such a thing, it's not it."

"Oh, but it is," Blackbeard insisted with yearning, his voice low and smooth. "But as is often in this world, certain rules apply. The Quartermaster made it quite clear that the crystal would not protect me. You see, it is only in effect if given to someone the wearer loved, or deeply cared about." He paced around the table until he stood no more than a few steps away from Jack. "But in the end, I didn't need to look for the stone at all, let alone worry how I would acquire it. Imagine our surprise," he threw Angelica a smile but she struggled to return it, "when only after a single night of signing up sailors, the daughter of the Goddess Calypso strolls into the trap willingly. I have little use for her necklace when I have her."

Jack frowned, hesitantly looking up to meet his gaze and narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "How did you know she was the daughter of Calypso?"

"I didn't know for sure," Blackbeard smiled smugly, pointing a finger at Jack. "Until just now."

"But _she_ doesn't know," Jack said carefully, trying to keep his eyes on Blackbeard's face and not the offending finger. "She is not aware of her parentage."

"Oh, no, she is aware," Blackbeard said, lowering his hand and moving around Jack to resume his pacing. Jack followed him with his eyes, feeling very much like a small animal being circled by a predator. "My daughter relayed the facts. The child merely spat them back in disbelief. It matters not if she accepts them. She can keep shaking her head if she likes – It is still the truth."

Jack eyed both Blackbeard and Angelica warily, his finger tracing an outline of an island that was little more than a dot on the map. "And what is it that you want with Admete?"

He lost count of how many times he had to ask that.

Blackbeard didn't answer his question, instead motioning to the papers spread out on the table. "The charts, Sparrow."


	4. Thick as Thieves

**.**

**Thick as Thieves**

.

"Your paste did miracles, young lass!"

Admete smiled at Ezekiel as she checked the healed wound on his shoulder, her fingertips lightly grazing the scared injury he had sustained during the failed mutiny only a few days prior. "You're far too kind."

Ezekiel shook his head, ready to open his mouth to argue when he paused, watching Admete as she carefully reached into the bowl at her side and scooped up a small handful of the same paste she had used to treat his injury. He pulled a face at the tingling sensation the paste had on his skin as Admete gently spread it on his shoulder and couldn't help but ask, "What's in it?"

Admete smiled to herself at his curiosity. She was glad that she managed to convince Angelica that if she wanted the crew to work at their best, she needed to let her heal them. The woman gathered the ingredients from her father's cabin and dumped them into Admete's hands, warning her not to attempt anything funny. Admete met Ezekiel's questioning gaze and was about to answer but paused, and instead said, "You don't want to know."

She was left to her thoughts again when Ezekiel merely nodded and faced the front again. Treating wounds was second nature to her, learned from not only Tia Dalma but the people who lived near-by. More than once she managed to hurt herself while hunting and strangers were kind enough to heal her, something she was particularly grateful for as she hated making Tia Dalma worry. A small part of her almost did not expect for the plants' magical abilities to remain intact, having absorbed so much of Blackbeard's negative energy, but when the crew's injuries healed as expected, she breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, the small smile on her face present ever since she had managed to make herself somewhat useful was only a mask for her head was filled with far less pleasant thoughts.

She knew that Blackbeard's compliance – even if it was something as small as giving her the ingredients to heal _his _crew – was a bad sign. He was only agreeing to her small wishes because–

No. Admete refused to think about it.

One thing – the only thing – she agreed with Blackbeard was that future is not set in stone. Her teacher and mentor told her that. One can read the future, but it can be changed, even if it's very hard to do so. it cane be cheated, even death itself. And while Blackbeard was trying to get to the Fountain before the one legged man, whoever he is, finds him first then Admete was doing all she can to escape the fate Blackbeard had bestowed upon her.

And things have changed – even if only slightly – since she first came onboard _Queen Anne's Revenge._ The crew were no longer staring at her like dogs eyeing a juicy slice of meat and Philip's worries were proved to be fruitless. Admete did know that it was mostly likely due to the consequences of the failed mutiny which left each of the men shaken. Never the less, she was glad she no longer had to tightly hold the knife in her hand in her sleep.

Scrum, Louis and Baako – what she learned was the name of the dark-skinned, kind man who had given her food – were among the pirates she felt most at peace with. Well, Jack too, but she would hardly consider Jack and herself as friends. Close acquittances was the more accurate description. She doubted 'tolerable' was even in each other's books. She knew that he found her annoying and less than unhelpful, and he knew that she didn't trust him.

Almost as if by fate, Philip and Admete _did _however find empty hammocks to string up right next to each other, in the corner of the room near where the cabin boy slept – she had a fleeting feeling that somebody had a play in that. Philip threw her an almost smug look and Admete pointedly ignored it, cursing the man and his god under her breath.

Tension between them could have been cut with a sword. Ever since she sat one of the men down and began to heal his injury – a nasty, bloody slash across his upper arm – Philip had been watching her with a small fire in his eyes. No longer did she seem to him a small woman that needed protecting, but instead a vixen who dances with demons. In his eyes – a man who blindly followed the word of god – voodoo was indistinguishable from the dark magic that Blackbeard emitted, and he couldn't understand why the rest of the crew seemed to not even blink twice at the girl's display of witchery.

Philip stood to the side with a clenched jaw and crossed arms, glaring at the paste the girl had mixed up. She was so young, was she not? Yet he could see a strange look in her eyes, one that kept him awake into the early hours of the morning – not that he could get much sleep on this hellbound vessel. And the words she had spoken under her breath as she worked were foreign to his ears and haunted his nightmares.

He shook himself and cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair and then downwards over his face, trying to rub sleep out of his eyes. He folded his arms over his chest, clutching his bible closer to him as if it would provide a shield between him and Admete. But his most prized possession offered him less and less comfort with each day that passed.

Philip nearly jumped when the crew laughed. He blinked and craned his neck to see over the group what the commotion was about. Louis had been inspecting the paste so closely that he nearly planted his face into the mixture, accidentally breathing in from such close proximity that it made him cough and in his startle, stumble down from his chair. Admete merely glanced at him as she finished with Ezekiel's healing wound and chuckled to herself, and when the cabin boy got back onto the bench next to her, she smeared some of the paste on his cheek, making him jump again as he scrambled to wipe it off.

Admete nodded at Ezekiel who thanked her for what must have been the dozenth time that evening. The girl simply handed him his shirt back and then motioned for the last crew member in need of inspection of his wounds to sit down: Baako.

He took of his shirt and Admete frowned when deep, long scars covering his back were revealed, gained when he was a child. Louis scooted closer to Admete, leaning over the table but taking care not to almost dip his nose into the paste again, ready to translate.

Admete had learned over the past few days while working with the rest of the crew that Baako – while being able to understand a good handful of English words, mainly ship terms and 'thank you' and 'please' – spoke mostly in French. Luckily, however, she also learned that Louis could speak French as well as any nobleman, even if he cryptically didn't say how, which meant that he could perfectly translate for Baako.

"_It does not cause me pain, but when I get sweaty, it itches most terribly."_

Admete frowned, not understanding a single word. She turned to Louis, arching an eyebrow at his smile. "What did he say?"

Louis grinned, "he says it itches when the wound gets wet."

Admete laughed, earning another beaming smile from the younger boy, and turned back to Baako. "Don't worry, my friend. If your wound is itching, it means it's healing. Just try not to get it wet too much."

"Thank you," Baako said slowly with a heavy accent, after Louis translated what Admete had said. The girl grinned at Louis before returning to her inspection of how well Baako's wound was healing, missing when the young boy's cheeks flushed and he hid his face in the coat of his sleeve, covering it with a cough.

As silence fell, the chatter of the rest of the crew became little else than background noise and Admete yet again was left to her thoughts, and even as she focused on tending to the wound she couldn't stop her head from taking a trip to the past.

She preferred not being in that cell anymore but it has been two very long days and while one would think that being surrounded by others every hour of every day would keep her busy, her mind was even more free than ever and every time Admete attempted to approach Jack to try and get answers, he would very _conveniently _become needed elsewhere.

Admete was growing restless.

Angelica had said that she was the daughter of Calypso and Davy Jones, but Admete found it too ridiculous to be true. Tia Dalma was like a mother to Admete, yes, but she was not the one to give birth to her as far as the young woman knew. She was her guardian ever since she was a little girl and she found her wandering the jungle, cold and hungry – or at least that was the story she was told, for Admete had very few memories of her childhood and they never came to her. She was always there for her, taught her everything she knew.

And the only time Admete had met Davy Jones face to face was during the war between the armadas of the East India Trading Company and the Brethren Court, when she was fighting under the command of the very pirates who ripped away the one person who had shown her kindness. She had attempted to run her sword through Davy Jones' chest and with one swift swing of his giant hand he smacked her out of the way so hard that she flew to the other side of the deck and rammed into Barbossa, unknowingly saving the same pirate from a blow that could have taken his arm off. Admete was no stranger to the stories about the previous captain of the _Flying Dutchman_, she knew he was a man before, but that man had died long before Davy Jones himself perished. Admete was not related to that monster. She didn't want a single part of that corrupted wrath in her.

Angelica was wrong. Blackbeard was wrong too, his voodoo rebelling against the dark purposes he uses it for and giving him false visions. She was not the goddess' daughter and she was going to die because of their infected minds.

But... There was a small thought in the back of her mind, one part of her that had started to believe. And it was spreading like a parasite, slowly killing her hope. When Angelica first told her everything, Admete didn't believe her. Every fibre of her being rebelled against the idea. But she couldn't shake the sinking feeling that in the one single look she took at Davy Jones's eyes, she saw her own eyes staring back.

"Are you alright?"

Admete was shaken back to present time by Louis's worried tapping on her shoulder. She gave him a smile and nodded, "Yes, I'm fine." Turning to Baako, she lightly tapped his shoulder, pulling her lips into a grin. "Everything looks good, sailor."

She wasn't sure whether he understood her words, but he must have caught the meaning behind them either way because he stood up, thanked her again and put his shirt back on. The moment he stood, Louis was in his place, looking up at Admete expectedly.

"Well, can we start?" he demanded, with a tone of authority that sounded strange coming from a small boy such as him.

Admete feigned ignorance, standing and brushing her hands onto her pants. "Start what?"

"The lessons," Louis anything but stomped his foot on the ground impatiently. "You promised to teach me how to wield a sword properly!"

Not that he needed the lessons. Young cabin boy seemed to hold his own just fine during the mutiny, but he was not as empty headed as the other pirates to miss how much Admete was better than the rest of them. And from the way she held herself, a confident smile on her face, he could tell that she had seen battle. The very fact that she let it slip that she's sailed under Jack – or _with _him, to be more precise, but even as Admete pointed that out it seemed to simply go over the boy's head – confirmed that. So he asked if she could teach him what she knew and who was Admete to refuse.

She also thought that he could fight with a sword well enough, but she had to admit that he could use some work. He fought bravely, yes, but he didn't use his small form and quick movements to his advantage as well as he could have. He also seemed to share the rest of the pirates' do-now-think-later way of thinking.

Admete smiled and nodded, letting out a small laugh when the boy cheered and immediately made the announcements that had the crew pushing the table aside to make space. The rest of the men didn't feel like sleeping so they decided to join in, whether to pay attention or simply use the time to drink the rum they managed to find.

The girl wiped her hands and then turning towards the rest of the room saw the entire crew watching, surrounding them in a circle. She could see Philip standing to the side, clearly displeased by the view if his expression was anything to go by, but her eyes didn't linger on him for long. Baako sat by the entrance, acting as the lookout in case one of the zombified soldiers stumbled inside.

Admete did notice that Jack and Scrum were missing but could only bring herself to roll her eyes. While Louis was trying to pick out the best sword, shooting glances to the one Admete had fastened to her belt, she was taking a generous number of sips from the bottle of rum, grinning when the others cheered and the bottle was passed onto to someone else. She didn't drink often, but she was going to make the most of the merry air surrounding her, especially when their destination was always in the back of her mind.

Feeling her cheeks already flush from the warm air and the drink in her belly, Admete turned around and drawing her sword held it at an arm's length. She was pleasantly surprised when the sword lightly clanged against another weapon, Louis already pointing his own chosen cutlass at her.

Pirates cheered at some joke that escaped both of their ears but the short ruckus didn't distract either of them, the two keeping their swords raised and their eyes boring into each other's. Admete took a step to the left and Louis mirrored her movements, a smirk pulling at one corner of his lips. Admete tilted her head to the side and when the boy's smile stretched into a grin, the two cried out and clashed weapons.

Admete hadn't laughed like this for a long time.

It was less her teaching him and more of a friendly duel, the girl correcting the young cabin boy where she thought he could use some improvement. And while he pulled faces and used the small moment while she was talking as a window to attack, she could see that he drank in every suggestion she voiced. Soon, even tricks like saying she was going to step right but instead stepping left were losing its effects. Every trick Barbossa and Jack had used against Admete, she used on the Cabin Boy and was almost surprised how patient he seemed.

Until she knocked the sword out of his hand and it scattered across the room. The few pirates who were watching laughed and Louis seemed very much his age when he stomped his foot on the ground, jutting out his bottom lip.

"You're cheating," he accused Admete, jabbing an accusing finger in her direction before running to pick up his sword.

All Admete did was laugh, lowering her sword and stepping forward. Louis eyed her curiously, readjusting his grip on his sword. "You're on a pirate ship," Admete began, not cruelly but with a look of seriousness behind her smile. "You are a cabin boy to pirates. And if you even get the chance to move up the ladder and leave the title of cabin boy behind, you will become a fellow _pirate_. If you want to survive in this world then you have to fight like a pirate."

Louis weighed her words over in his head before nodding to himself and without as much as a cry of warning, jabbed his sword at Admete. She blocked it, a smirk pulling at her lips.

"Well done, Louis. You're a fast learner," she praised him.

The boy nodded, offering her a small bow. "Thank you." The two exchanged grins before he swung his sword again, Admete dancing out of the way.

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><p>.<p>

Angelica walked up the stairs onto the deck slowly, one hand on the railing and the other adjusting her head band. She raised an eyebrow when she saw not the crew standing watch, but Scrum sitting by the stairs to the Captain's Cabin, playing his mandola, each of its eight strings entirely out of tune.

"Hola," Jack called to _Revenge_'s first mate who turned her curious expression towards him. He leaned forward and pulled out a dark bottle from the inside of the cannon he was straddling, offering Angelica a wide grin. "Come. Little drink?"

As he swiftly swung his legs over the cannon and moved towards her, grabbing two goblets on the way, Angelica rested with her elbows against the railing behind her. "Wine, music, candlelight..." she humoured him shortly before revealing how unamused she was by his current tactics. "I think we're travelled down this road before, Jack."

"Yes we have," Jack nodded, tossing one of the goblets to Angelica which she caught effortlessly, her lips a thin line and her eyes calculating. "I remember well." Jack pulled out the cork out of the bottle with his teeth, spitting it out across the deck as he approached his past lover, his eyes never leaving hers. "Winding, twisting and turning, gyrating, writhing. Incessant writhing." He poured wine into his goblet and let his hand hover at their eye-level, showing off the lace dangling from around his wrist. "Do you recall St. Dominique?"

"La Martinique," she corrected him. "I tried to kill you in St. Dominique."

"Either or," Jack shrugged, pouring the wine out of his goblet and into hers.

Angelica glanced at it warily. "Hardly appropriate for a First Mate."

"Was I the first?" Jack leaned in to ask with a wicked grin. "I've often wondered."

Angelica clicked her tongue. "You can be so charming when you want something, Jack," she said slowly, searching his face. "The trick is finding out what."

Scrum's playing intensified dramatically, the beat picking up speed and rhythm. Jack began to lead Angelica around the deck in an intimate dance, his words at her ear.

"The truth, then, is it? Blackbeard has served his purpose. You and I can go to the Fountain together, where we shall bathe one another in equal shares of fame. And other assorted debaucheries."

"And I tell you the Ritual of the Fountain," Angelica caught on, following his every word.

"Yes," Jack breathed, "The Profane Ritual." He swung her to the ground and their dance stilled.

"Can I trust you, Jack?" Angelica asked with a tilt of her head, pulling Jack's hand towards her, forcing him to lean down over her. "I need you on my side." She was lying flat on the wooden deck, her fingers beckoning him closer.

"Oh, my dearest, Angelica," Jack's voice turned to a whisper as his face hoovered above her. "You and I are as thick as thieves, love. Tell me the rules."

"Water from the Fountain of Youth," she said, stroking his chin with a slight smile before she suddenly flipped them over, Jack now on the floor and her above him. "The shimmering tear of a mermaid," she continued, stroking his cheek, "the Silver Chalices of Ponce de Leon..."

"Huhuh," Jack mumbled out, a faraway look in his eyes as Angelica ran her lips over his left cheek.

"With these items..."

"Yes?"

Angelica sat up, her hands tangled in his shirt. "With these items, you may take all of the years of life from another, Jack."

Jack blinked in surprise, then sat up also, the spell broken. "Eh?"

"You know what that means," Angelica smiled almost regretfully, her fingers grazing the side of his face. "We cannot go alone, you and I. The Ritual requires a victim."

Suddenly the pieces of the puzzle fell into place and Jack mustered the self control to not let his eyes widen in realisation. "Admete..." Angelica remained silent, briefly meeting his eyes and that was all the confirmation he needed. He swallowed. "That is unfortunate."

"Yes, it is," Angelica stroked his beard, lightly pushing back down.

"I find my desire for the Fountain greatly lessened," he couldn't help but admit. He knew Admete couldn't be onboard _Queen Anne's Revenge _for reasons anything less than sinister, but even in his books this did not seem like a good idea.

If Angelica knew of his inner struggle, she did not show it. Instead, she ran her hands over his chest, cupping his face as if to kiss him. "But there is something on board you do want."

Jack had time only to give her a confused look before Angelica's weight disappeared from his chest and he was pulled up to his feet, Angelica looking around cautiously as she led him to the Captain's Cabin. Scrum gave them a glance, continuing playing.

Once inside the Captain's Cabin, Jack loitered to the side as Angelica unlocked the gate to a large cabinet, the same one Jack witnessed Blackbeard locking up the last time he was in the room. "What about Blackbeard?" he asked, throwing a tense look towards the door.

"He's in the chartroom. We'll have to be quick," Angelica whispered over her shoulder, motioning to the table that seemed cleared, the maps absent. She opened the doors and the dim , golden light fell on the bottles inside the cabinet.

Jack approached the sight in wonder, inspecting each one in turn.

"He keeps each ship as a prize," Angelica explained, the atmosphere heavy with the sounds of storms drifting from the bottles and their tense breathing. Jack could hardly believe his eyes. Many ships, more than he cared to count, trapped in _bottles. _"You help me, and I promise you your pick. Though I think I know the one you will choose."

Jack nearly froze when he caught sight of his beloved vessel, drifting peaceful despite the violent, dark storm unleashing its wrath on the sails. "The _Black Pearl_ in a bottle? Why is the _Black Pearl _in a bottle?" He struggled to keep his voice low, anger stirring in his stomach. Jack the Monkey crawled up the rigging and screeched, making the pirate jump back. He masked the small frighting yelp he released by gritting his teeth together in a growl. "He's even more annoying in miniature."

Moving to cover his view of the ship, Angelica faced him seriously. "Do we have a deal, Jack?"

"Angelica," Jack smiled ruefully. "I know you. You can keep up the act in front of Blackbeard but we both know that you are not going to steal the life of an innocent girl." At her raised eyebrow he added, "Neither are you foolish enough to ignore the potential consequences."

She pretended to think before smiling, taking a step forward and making Jack back away from the cabinet which she closed and locked. "What about the one-legged man? If you don't want to kill the child, then for now she will serve as a distraction. We'll just have to make sure that _he, _the man from the prophecy, is at hand when we need him." She turned back around, serious again. "I need years, Jack. Not for me. For my father. I am truly the daughter of Blackbeard."

Jack took in a deep breath. "You've fallen for your own con, love."

"No," Angelica argued, strangely calm. "He _is_ my father. The lies I told you were not lies."

Jack did a double-take, blinking in confusion. "You lied to me by telling the truth?"

"Yes," she nodded.

Jack's eyes darted to the side, squinting. "That's very good, may I use that?"

"I'm sure you will anyway," Angelica retorted, moving past him to leave.

"I mean, of course I would," Jack agreed, turning around. "So you will not give up this quest, then." He was sure that Angelica would not kill Admete but the same could not be said for Blackbeard.

Angelica turned to him, lingering by the table, voodoo doll resembling Jack only a hand's reach away. "I want a father, Jack. I haven't had one."

Jack cursed inwardly, approaching Angelica and speaking to her carefully, wishing for his words to sink in. "Angelica. Your father, Blackbeard. He is evil, and he will kill you, given the chance." Angelica picked up the voodoo doll and hid it behind her back as she turned to him. "He cannot be saved."

"And who are you to set the limits on redemption?" Angelica demanded bitterly. "You stole years of my life, Jack. You owe me."

Jack rested his hands on her shoulders, slowly dragging them downwards. "And you are en route to getting yourself killed, and I'm not inclined to stand by and watch."

Or stand by and watch Blackbeard kill Admete and most likely unleash the wrath of the goddess Calypso. He was surprised the seas were as calm as they were. Perhaps Blackbeard was somehow shielding Admete's presence on his ship?

His hands hovered over Angelica's, his fingers curling to grab hold of the doll but Quartermaster's sudden hollering, accompanied by the ringing of the bell, made Angelica jump and jerk her hands away before Jack could grab the doll, his hand grasping empty air.

He offered the beauty an unamused look and she returned it with a barely visible sly smile.

"_Whitecap Bay!"_

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><p>.<p>

Author's note:  Managed to get another chapter out (because while I'm procrastinating I might as well do something semi-productive, right?). Hope this revealed a bit more about Admete and how she interacts with others and the kind of effect her presence elicits.


End file.
